ROBERT H. BARRON HOUSE
Firm: J. A. Cawston and Associates
Address: 5425 Elbow Drive SW
Date of final plans: June 1961
Status: demolished in 2006
In 1961, 12 years after his father had commissioned Jack Cawston to design the Barron Building, Robert Barron hired Cawston again to design a personal home. The Robert Barron House was located on Elbow Drive and backed onto the Calgary Golf and Country Club. Barron's lot spanned 343' by 100'. The design called originally for the house to be built of concrete block, however, prior to construction this was revised to wood framing with redwood siding. The Barrons lived at the house until the end of 1974.
Photographs are courtesy of Daniel Barron. For more information, see Daniel's guest article here:
THE CLIENT
Robert Herbert Lester Barron, QC (1916–2008) was born on 29 November 1916 and was one of three children of Jacob Bell Barron (1888–1965) and his wife Amelia (1889–1959). Robert was born in the family home on Elbow drive and grew up in Calgary. In 1935 he entered law school at the University of Alberta, graduating in 1938. From 1941 to 1945 Barron served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, becoming a flight instructor and attaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant. Barron's legal career began at the firm of his uncle, Samuel Helman. Notable cases include Klein v. Bell and Municipal District of Sugar City v. Bennett & White (Calgary) Ltd. He served as the President of the Calgary Hebrew School, Honorary Directory of Chevra Kadisha of Calgary, and was a member of the Royal Astronomical Society.
In 1956 Barron married Cleoanne Heltay (1935–2023), with whom he had six children. He died on 15 May 2008 at age 91.